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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055350">it's a date</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tacohashi/pseuds/tacohashi'>tacohashi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Wilds (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Gen, Post-Island, Queer Prom, based on a tweet, good ol' fluff, no beta we die like complete fools, not my best work but i rlly wanted to post it lmfao</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 16:34:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,754</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055350</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tacohashi/pseuds/tacohashi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Unless one of you had an actual prom they went to and never told us, none of us had that experience,” she explains, like if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “and that’s what queer prom is for!”</p><p> </p><p>or, the cluster attend their local queer prom and have a fun nice out.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dot Campbell/Fatin Jadmani/Leah Rilke, Shelby Goodkind/Toni Shalifoe, The Unsinkable Eight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>it's a date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>based on <a href="https://twitter.com/tonisvans1/status/1370900459515437058?s=21">this tweet</a> because i haven't been able to stop thinking about it since i first saw it.</p><p>i'm not american or have ever attended prom so this is based purely on the little knowledge i have from media &lt;3 i also, not really regrettably, don't know anything about fashion except women in suits good, so please don't judge me too much on that either.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Queer prom?” Nora asks. Fatin looks around at the seven girls sitting down in front of her and nods, smiling brightly. They had been watching a movie, all curled closely together, when out of nowhere Fatin gasped and jumped out of the couch and started ranting enthusiastically about the topic.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah! Unless one of you had an <em> actual </em> prom they went to and never told us, none of us had that experience,” she explains, like if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “and that’s what queer prom is for!”</p><p> </p><p>Dot interrupts, raising her hand, “What if… we didn’t want to have a prom at all.”</p><p> </p><p>Fatin turns to Dot and looks at her girlfriend for a moment with pursed lips. She ignores her comment and continues, “we’re all queer here, right?” the girls all nod, not quite following the point she was trying to make. “And none of us had a prom… so, this is our chance to do that and have that!”</p><p> </p><p>The other seven members of the cluster look at her, processing her words in silence.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, well. When is it?” Rachel says.</p><p> </p><p>Seven heads snap to where Rachel is sitting between Nora and Leah, she blinks unaffected.</p><p> </p><p>“You actually want to go?” Leah asks her, frowning. Since coming back from the island, not much had been going on in their lives aside from a gigantic amount of therapy, and the occasional chaotic grocery run.</p><p> </p><p>“Why not? It’s not like we have anything else to do, and Fatin’s right,” she gestures to the vague direction where Fatin was staring at her surprised, “we didn’t have a prom. It could be fun.”</p><p> </p><p>Toni shrugs and nods, “I’m in too. Sounds cool.”</p><p> </p><p>Six heads, including Shelby’s, turn to look at Toni’s direction in disbelief. Toni had never shown interest in big, loud group activities since coming back. Preferring to stay in and watch some sport-game-match with Rachel, or cook a meal out of Mama B’s cookbook with Martha, most times opting to spend hours at the basketball court that was a few minutes away from their complex alone.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>You </em> want to go? Well damn, in that case, sign me up too.” Dot laughs, “when’d you said this thing is, Fatin?”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Dorothy, for asking,” Fatin winks at her girlfriend, “it’s in two weeks! Friday the twentieth. Formal wear, of course. And has an open bar.”</p><p> </p><p>She kept explaining all the logistics for their big night out down to the hour. It only made the rest of the cluster get more and more excited as she talked about the incredibly detailed plan she had already formed.</p><p> </p><p>“Now, let’s talk outfits,” Fatin pointed at Nora, Rachel and Toni first, “I don’t trust you three on getting all dressed up alone, we’re gonna go shopping,” then at Shelby and Martha, “I <em> do </em> trust you two, but you’re still coming with us,” and lastly at Leah and Dot, “I’ve already picked both your outfits, so all three of us can match and make every couple there - no offence Shelby and Toni - jealous of how hot we look together.”</p><p> </p><p>Shelby laughs, "None taken, I think?"</p><p> </p><p>Days go by slowly, and the excitement and nervousness only grows and grows. It only gets fueled by the almost-daily trips to the mall Fatin makes them take (“What?! We’re filthy rich now, we can afford this.”), and both Dot and Shelby working out any irregularities or nonsense in Fatin’s already extremely detailed plan.</p><p> </p><p>When the day finally arrives, it feels almost surreal. They spend the entire day running around between the three apartments they shared with half-done makeup and sweatpants under fancy, glittery dresses —except in Toni and Rachel’s case, who opted in wearing suits and no makeup.</p><p> </p><p>Various kinds of yells could be heard from different rooms in their appartments, ranging from "Have y'all seen where I left my heels?" to "I swear to god, Nora, if you don't walk out of that bathroom in the next five minutes you'll wish you were still in that fucking island."</p><p> </p><p>Fatin had pulled strings around and made sure Leah, Dot or her would never bump into the other at any moment throughout the day while getting ready, same went applied to Toni and Shelby. To make things even more interesting for them, she had said. So, when the moment came for all eight of them to get together and take pictures before leaving for the venue, they were all <em> vibrating </em> with eagerness to see each other's final looks.</p><p> </p><p>The first one to walk into the living room where they would be taking pictures was Martha, in a bright flowy dress and an equally bright smile. Both twins were already there. as they had been the first ones to finish getting ready, and cheered at Martha as she walked in, who in return started to blush.</p><p> </p><p>One of the TV speakers started blasting music, a song Fatin had expressed in various occasions she <em> really </em> liked, and the lights of the room dimmed as the first notes of the song played out. She walked into the room dancing along to the beat in heels that made her stand taller than Leah. She winked at the three girls already present in the room, and sat down between Nora and Rachel. While the song still played, Leah stepped into the room; she didn’t sway along to the beat, or do anything except smile and blush when the four girls started hollering and clapping. In the last thirty seconds of the song, Dot walked in. She was wearing a beautifully tailored jumpsuit, and even some light amount of makeup. She was grinning, spinning to show the girls her outfit proudly.</p><p> </p><p>All three of them —Fatin, Dot and Leah— had their outfits coordinated and matched in the small details, like Fatin had promised, so when they were standing together, it looked like a well orchestrated plan, but separated each piece they were wearing had its own personality and spark: just like them, and their relationship.</p><p> </p><p>Next up, Shelby walked out in a simple dress and her best, and most genuine, pageant-winning smile. She looked around the room searching for Toni, to finally see what she had chosen (with a lot of Fatin’s help) after weeks of complaining and arguing, to no avail. Martha waved her over to sit beside her in an empty spot on the couch with an excited and happy smile. They gushed over each other's dresses for a moment while they waited for Toni to walk out.</p><p> </p><p>When the girl stepped in, Shelby thought her brain was going to short-circuit. Toni looked good, <em> really </em>good. She was wearing a light green suit with a simple button-down shirt under it, and her hair down and tumbling over her shoulders. And, of course, her trusty pair of high top black vans.</p><p> </p><p>She walks over to Shelby, grinning, and when the blonde notices the shoes Toni grins and says: “Gotta stay on brand, you know.”</p><p> </p><p>Shelby rolls her eyes and kisses her for a moment, two. “You look really good.”</p><p> </p><p>Toni’s smile softens, “And you clean up nicely,” she kisses Shelby again. “I see why Fatin trusted you with choosing your own dress.”</p><p> </p><p>All eight of them spend the next twenty minutes taking pictures and talking between each other about what they were wearing and their days before Fatin loudly announces their ride was finally there —their ride being Dot and Nora who had volunteered to be the designated drivers for the night.</p><p> </p><p>"We all look so fucking hot!" Fatin exclaimed after seeing all the pictures they took together, "I'd have <em>never</em> believed we spent months stuck on an island with no soap just by looking at these photos."</p><p> </p><p>The drive to the venue was quick, arriving with no problem or traffic. Loud, booming music could be heard from streets away, as were the bright lights that surrounded the place, which made their arrival a million times easier than expected.</p><p> </p><p>It was nothing like they had expected. But, well, none of them really knew what they expected. The place was filled with people in all kinds of colorful clothes and makeup, dancing, singing, laughing and having an amazing time with each other.</p><p> </p><p>They all felt a little starstruck and even overwhelmed at some degree, but not in an entirely bad way. Loud noises and crowded spaces were still hard to navigate at times, after spending months with nothing but each other and the sea for company in that island and then weeks alone in their rooms at the bunker, but the excitement over the event made it all better, and worth it. </p><p> </p><p>Walking in, they all immediately drifted into different sides of the venue, not before Dot reminded them of their agreed three am departure, with no exceptions, and to stay safe and always with one of them at their side.</p><p> </p><p>All of them had already gone through bad experiences while going out. After all, their fifteen minutes of fame had not been fifteen minutes, but months and months of the media watching all their movements and talking about them, and what they went through at the island, with no end. It was common for people to stop them at the street and want to discuss their trauma like it was part of a reality show instead of a cruel inhumane experiment.</p><p> </p><p>Surprisingly, that did not happen at the prom. Could’ve been thanks to them dressing up and the dim lights inside of the venue, or that the people in there knew what it felt like, at some degree, to be excrutinated and have their every-move watched to the point of having to hide themselves in order to stay safe.</p><p> </p><p>They danced, and drank, and laughed, for hours and hours. Talked with the other attendees and shared experiences, learning how both similar and completely different everyone was. How the majority of them, just like all eight girls, had found a family of people who understood their pain and struggles, a family of people who loved them regardless of who they loved or what they went through.</p><p> </p><p>When three am neared, all of them were exhausted and sweaty, with shoes taken off and makeup <em> just </em> a tiny bit ruined in some cases. But they were all happy, grinning despite the tiredness. And with their hearts feeling lighter than they had in months.</p><p> </p><p>They had each other, and they all had a community that supported them and loved them despite their flaws. The Unsinkable Eight were finally home.</p><p>
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</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>if you liked it make sure you comment and leave kudos! the validation fuels me to continue writing my silly little fics.</p><p>you can also find me on tumblr as @rudeamity :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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